Posts relevant to people Age 30 to 50
When will the Secular Bear Market End?
The US stock market has been in a secular bear market since 2000. It will be difficult to make any money in stocks until this long term bear market ends. So, the question is when will the secular bear market we are currently experiencing end?
What assets should be placed in which retirement accounts
In my previous post I discussed about how I would prioritize my retirement savings. I suggested it would be prudent to invest in retirement accounts over time, with the goal of creating tax diversity. That is, by having funds in tax deferred, tax free, and taxable accounts. In this post I’ll discuss what type of […]
Pay Down Debt or Increase Savings
A friend of mine who is early in his career recently told me that he had finally paid off his car. He wanted to know whether he should use his newly available cash flow to pay down other outstanding debt or use the funds to increase his retirement savings. This is a good question. In […]
Should You Use a Financial Advisor
I am often asked if I use a financial advisor. Financial advisors can be very helpful. In this post I will give my thoughts on whether you should use a financial advisor.
Equity Allocation Revisited
I have written often in this blog how one of the most important investment decisions you must make is selecting your appropriate equity allocation for your retirement portfolio. In my discussions on this topic, I have referenced a simple equity allocation guideline, “100 minus your age,” people can use that I first explained in this […]
The Most Important Investment Concepts I Have Learned
As a follow up to my previous post on How a Bad Investment Experience Changed My Life, I will discuss in this post what I think are the most important investment concepts I have learned from my investing experience and research. I have talked about these concepts in previous posts but, to start off the […]
How a Bad Investment Experience Changed My Life
Recently I had lunch with an old friend. My friend is about ten years younger than I am and is still working. He asked me a question that I had to think about. My friend wanted to know what are the most important investment lessons that I learned over my investing life. In this post […]
Are You Saving Enough for Retirement?
In recent years I have reviewed dozens of interactive online tools designed to help the user determine the appropriate savings rate to retire. After all my reviews, I think I have found the best “no cost” online tool for analyzing your retirement savings status.
Retirement Tax Diversification
After my last blog post, I received a couple of questions concerning the concept of tax diversification. In this post I will discuss this topic as it relates to one of the biggest tax mistakes many future retirees make in their financial planning. It is known as “The Deferral Trap.”
How it is Possible to have $100,000 in income and Pay $0 Federal Income Taxes
It may not seem feasible for a retiree to have $100,000 in spendable income and pay zero federal income taxes, but at least for tax year 2012 it is possible. It requires no special tax shelters and just takes advantage of a few ordinary tax laws. In this post I will provide a scenario that […]
